


Some Kind of Home

by gilligankane



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-12
Updated: 2012-11-12
Packaged: 2017-11-18 12:51:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/561253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gilligankane/pseuds/gilligankane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You missed our first full moon since the curse broke.” Snow turns as Regina speaks up. “Unfortunately, Miss. Lucas did not. She has since exiled herself to the woods.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Some Kind of Home

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for 2x01 Broken and 2x07 Child of the Moon

When the curse breaks, everyone in Storybrooke is looking at her to do something about it. Well, they’re looking at her and David – _Charming_ – and Emma to do something about it and it just sort of goes on. She doesn’t get a genuine moment to breathe. The purple smoke clears and it leaves behind the Dwarves looking for direction, Granny looking to shoot someone, Emma looking confused and lost and vaguely happy, and Red-

Snow shakes her head. It’s Ruby, in this world. And Ruby doesn't want to be called 'Red' by  _anyone_.

Ruby looks at her constantly, her eyes tracking every step Snow makes, like she’s scouting prey from a distance. It leaves Snow looking over her shoulder constantly, just to make sure Ruby is following her, just to make sure she hasn’t scampered off again. It reminds Snow of being in the Enchanted Forest, back when Ruby’s eyes were wide with innocence, forever in awe of the forest that stretched out before her that she had never seen before. Just before wolfstime, Red would linger a few steps away, her eyes flashing yellow in Snow’s torchlight, always trained on Snow. She was always too scared to get close, too insecure in her abilities to huddle in the same ditch with Snow for too long before she would leave. In the morning, Snow would wake up, Ruby’s red cloak pillowed under her head while Ruby tended to a fire Snow didn’t remember building.

“What shall we do, Snow?” Grumpy asks. Snow turns the broom she’s going to use as a torch over and over in her hands, as if it will give her an answer if she stares at it hard enough.

“Guard the doors. If neither Charming nor I come out, don’t let anyone in,” she says, her eyes on Ruby.

Ruby nods slowly and Snow sees a flash of Red, just for a moment, in her eyes. It’s the same look Red gave Snow before every snatch-and-grab or fight, a look that said, ‘please be careful and please come back safely.’

Despite their hug when the curse first broke, Ruby has kept her physical distance from Snow, hovering at the edge of their group meetings, remaining steadfast at Granny’s side and offering her support in a more stoic manner than Snow was used to. It doesn’t stop Snow from walking too close as she passes Ruby, her hands reaching for Ruby’s wrist to squeeze gently. She feels Ruby tense under her grip and immediately lets go, but Ruby meets her gaze and nods once, discreetly, and Snow returns the gesture with a small smile.

 “Okay. Let’s go.”

*

They finally make it back to Storybrooke, worse for wear. Snow crashes to the floor of the police station with Emma clutching the back of her shirt, breathing heavily in her ear. She can hear Mulan worrying over Aurora and lets out her own groan, rolling onto her side as she tries to catch her breath. Vaguely, she can hear Henry chattering excitedly and Charming’s deep voice answering him, but Snow sits up, hands reaching for Emma first, to check her for any bumps or bruises.

“Are you okay? Did you land on anything?” She pushes back the curtain of Emma’s hair, looking for blood.

Emma groans and pushes Snow’s hands away like a surly teenager. “Stop it. I’m fine. I’m the one who landed on you.”

Snow’s leg does ache a little but she ignores the pain in favor of the blooming relief in her chest. “Thank God,” she whispers, her frantic hands slowing as she touches Emma’s forehead and cheek. She’s not sure the awe of having her daughter back will ever fade, even if Emma doesn’t know how to handle such attention. She is getting better at reading Emma, though, and pulls her hands back reluctantly, to give Emma the space she needs.

Charming’s hand is there when she tries to stand up, giving her a pushing off point. “Snow,” he breathes out, pulling her into a crushing hug. “I have missed you.”

Snow buries her face into his chest, inhaling deeply. She feels him tense and looks back over her shoulder at Mulan, an imposing figure in her armor. She laughs softly at the way that Mulan has positioned herself in front of Aurora who is arguing with Emma about her cloak. It must have torn as they traveled because Aurora seems nearly close to tears and Emma looks like she’s trying to calm her down.

“They’re friends,” she assures Charming. “On my honor.”

Charming nods, his chin jutting out in authority. His voice booms as he announces himself and bows to Mulan.

Snow looks around, her smile wide as she sees Henry bouncing on the tips of his toes excitedly, his pleading eyes turned on Regina. Snow inhales sharply as she remembers that, in their world, Cora is still plotting her revenge against her daughter and for a moment, Snow sees the Regina that saved her off the back of a speeding horse. Henry brushes past her when Regina gives him permission, barreling towards Aurora excitedly, nearly knocking Emma over.

“Regina,” Snow says, nodding.

“Miss Blan-” Regina pauses. “Snow White.”

Snow can appreciate an effort when she sees one. It’s what made her a good teacher, she thinks. So she lets the moment pass and sighs wearily. “There are things we need to talk about.”

She pretends not to notice the way that Regina’s eyes linger on Emma. “Yes, there are.”

“But later. When I’ve had a few cups of cocoa.”

“And maybe wash that forest smell off you,” Regina adds, her mouth quirked up in something like a smirk.

Snow is just as surprised as Regina when she lets out a small laugh. “Yes. After a shower. I forgot how much I enjoyed showers.”

“You’re welcome. For a world of modern convenience,” Regina clarifies.

Snow swallows her immediate argument and nods instead, looking around. “Where’s Ruby? Is she at the diner?”

Regina doesn’t answer her right away. Snow waits for an anxious moment. “Regina, where’s Ruby?” Regina opens her mouth and closes it again, clearing her throat.

Snow turns slowly towards Charming. He glances quickly back over his shoulder and away again, but he must see the way she is looking at him because he turns again. “Snow?”

“Where’s Ruby?” she repeats.

Charming gets a pinched look on his face, the one he gets when he doesn’t know how to break news gently to her. Henry’s excited chatter dies down and Emma’s attention turns to them too. The room grows silent and it makes Snow nervous.

“Charming,” she says slowly, even as her heart rises into her throat. Charming takes a deep breath and looks over her shoulder. Snow glances back but Regina avoids her eyes. “ _David_ , where’s Ruby?”

Henry speaks up. “She moved out to the woods. There was…” Henry’s eyes darken a bit.

“You missed our first full moon since the curse broke.” Snow turns as Regina speaks up. “Unfortunately, Miss. Lucas did not. She has since exiled herself to the woods.”

Snow panics. “What do you mean? What does that mean? Did she…” She clamps a hand over her mouth briefly. “Did she…”

“No. No,” Charming assures her. “It was just… a close call. Too close for her. I tried to tell her that she would be okay. She just needed to reteach herself how to control the wolf, but she…” 

Snow doesn’t listen to the rest of his story and takes off running. 

*

Now that the curse has been lifted, Snow remembers everything. That includes the tracking skills Red taught her at the beginning of their journey. Once she gets to the edge of the forest, she hunches over and tries to catch her breath. She’s sure that Charming and Emma will be following after her soon and while she adores them, they don’t know Red the way Snow does. So she takes a steadying breath and forges ahead, looking for any sign of Ruby.

A few hours later, Snow realizes she’s been following the same tracks in a large circle. “Clever girl,” she pants, eyes struggling to adjust to the setting sun. She reacquainted with the forest easily enough, but because of Aurora’s protests and Mulan’s demand that Aurora rest, they always made camp as soon as the sun began to dip on the horizon. The forest gets darker and tracks become harder to see. She’s been awake for too long and the exhaustion is starting to set in. The edge of the forest where she came in seems too far away for her now and she drops heavily to a log, just to rest for a second.

That’s when she sees the flickering light. Sitting down, she can see the flame distorted by something, maybe glass, and as the sun continues to sink, it shows her a cabin in the distance, barely visible but for the light in the window.

Snow smiles widely and takes off at a sprint, slowing once she gets close enough. She has to make sure Ruby is actually here and that she didn’t stumble into someone else’s home. She crouches under a window and slowly peeks her head up but sees nothing. Creeping around a corner, she sees the front door of the cabin propped open, as if it’s inviting her in. She approaches it cautiously, doing her best not to step too heavily.

“I think too many years in a classroom made you rusty,” she hears as she reaches the doorframe. She knows that voice. Standing and brushing off her clothes, feeling foolish, Snow pushes the door open wider, stepping inside.

Ruby looks up from the book she’s reading, marking her page. She brightens the oil lamp next to her, the light Snow must have seen from a distance.

Snow cocks her head to the side. “I see twenty eight years as a waitress didn’t make you rusty,” she counters.

Something flashes across Ruby’s face but it is gone quickly. She stands and smiles, though not as wide as usual, crossing the room and hugging Snow. “We thought we lost you two. King George burned the hat and we thought we lost you forever.”

“Shh,” Snow breathes out, smoothing her hands down Ruby’s back, feeling the tension in the muscles. “We came back. We were always going to come back.”

Ruby hugs her tighter, her face in Snow’s neck. When she was Mary Margaret – and she still is. The memories are all still there – she had missed this. Ruby would always squeeze her shoulder as she passed the table, or offer her an arm as they left The Rabbit Hole after maybe one too many, but Mary Margaret Blanchard, teacher, had no reason to hug Ruby Lucas, waitress. Hugging her now, Snow feels the last piece of her clicking into place, like she’s finished a puzzle. Her neck feels wet and she eases back to see how red Ruby’s eyes are this close up, as if she’s been crying for days. Snow knows the look. Red wore it for weeks after learning the truth about herself and it breaks Snow’s heart now just like it did the last time.

“No, no. Red, stop,” she says, the name slipping out of her mouth easily. She pushes Ruby back gently until they reach the rough wooden table and its chairs. She pulls a chair close and gathers Ruby’s hands in her own. “Please, don’t cry. We’re back. I’m here.” She wipes at Ruby’s tears clumsily.

Ruby turns into the touch, her skin hot to the touch. “Snow, I…”

“It’s okay.” Snow moves closer. “It’s okay. Whatever happened, we’ll get through it together. Just like we used to.”

Ruby shakes her head. “You weren’t there. The wolf just… It’s been so long. I didn’t have my cloak. I didn’t remember how to control it.”

Snow squeezes Ruby’s hand gently. “Did you…”

Ruby shakes her head even harder. “No. But I’m still a monster. Billy died because of me. He died, just like Peter did.” She starts crying again and Snow feels her heart ache at the sight. “Just like Quinn. Just… just like my mother.”

“No,” Snow breathes out. “No. Quinn died because of me. Your mother died because of me. Peter was an accident. Red, look at me.” She grabs Ruby’s chin and forces her head up. “Believe me when I tell you that you are not a monster. You are _not_ a monster. Do you hear me?”

“I…”

“You are good, Red,” Snow continues over Ruby’s hesitation. “You are _good_.” She presses her hand against Ruby’s chest, her fingers splaying over Ruby’s breastbone. “Here. You are good here. And this? This is where it matters.”

Ruby sobs again, falling forward into Snow who pulls her close. “You are good,” she mumbles over and over again, pressing kisses to Ruby’s forehead. 

*

Snow wakes up as the sunlight streams in through the window. A bed feels strange under her body, so used to the forest floor again, but it’s a welcome feeling. There are heavy hands on her waist, pinning her down, but she manages to turn over and face Ruby, memorizing the calm, serene look of sleep. It hadn’t taken too long before Ruby cried herself to the point of exhaustion, letting Snow put her to bed like a ragdoll, pulling the covers over them. She hadn’t given Ruby the chance to hesitate and pulled the other woman close.

Snow had learned early on that Ruby needed the closeness. She was perpetually afraid that the monster in her would overtake the human and Snow’s hand on her shoulder or arm around her waist was a reminder that she was human.

“You are good,” Snow whispers again, reaching up to brush away some of Ruby’s hair, wild and loose from the night.

“I don’t always feel good,” Ruby rasps, her eyes still closed.

Snow’s hand falters before it continues to brush away Ruby’s hair. “You are.”

Ruby blinks a few times before her eyes open fully. “How do you know? The wolf… It took over. And the wolf is not good.”

“I know,” Snow reassures her. “I know because when you found me stealing from you, you offered me somewhere to stay. And when my life was in danger, you were there. The wolf was there. And the wolf did the right thing. The wolf did good because _you_ are good.”

“You’re the only one who sees me as both,” Ruby whispers, looking away. “You’ve always been the only one who has liked me as me and as the wolf.”

Snow leans in and presses a kiss to Ruby’s forehead. “I love you as both.”

Ruby tilts her head back to create space. “You’re the only one. Everyone knows Ruby and people say they want to know Red, too. But they don’t. They can’t. They never look at me the same way.”

Snow’s hands find the side of Ruby’s face, pulling until their eyes meet again. “You are…”

“Good,” Ruby finishes. “I know.”

“You know, but you don’t believe me,” Snow counters.

“I’m trying,” Ruby promises, pressing her face into Snow’s neck. “I keep trying.”

Snow closes her eyes, breathing in the piney scent of Ruby’s hair. She wonders how long she’s been out here and what else she missed, but there’s time for that later. They lay like that for a few minutes, long enough that Snow feels herself start to drift asleep again, warmed by the window-filtered light and the soft brush of Ruby’s breath against her collarbone. She almost doesn’t heart Ruby start to talk again.

“What?”

Ruby’s hands slide around her waist again, fingers tapping against the small of her back. “I said, here we are, together, in our cabin in the woods.” 

Snow chuckles softly. “I told you that we would find it one day.”

“You just didn’t say ‘one day’ would be almost thirty years later.”

Snow lightly kicks Ruby’s shin but doesn’t move away from Ruby. “But one day is now.”

Ruby tilts her head back again and Snow opens her eyes a little. “I don’t know if I’m ready to move back to Granny’s right yet.”

Snow nods, her chin bumping against the top of Ruby’s forehead. “That’s okay. We can stay, Ruby.”

“Snow?” Ruby asks a few minutes later.

“Ruby.”

“You can call me Red,” Ruby whispers.

Snow pulls Red closer, wriggling further down into the sheets, her exhaustion overtaking her again. “We can stay, Red. We can stay for as long as we want.”


End file.
